Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Here's important news from the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF):

Above: Sugar beets in the field. Photo: Peggy Grebs USDA gallery

On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations, the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed suit on March 29 against Monsanto Company to challenge the chemical giant's patents on genetically modified seed. The organic plaintiffs were forced to sue preemptively to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto's genetically modified seed, something Monsanto has done to others in the past. The action seeks a ruling that would prohibit Monsanto from suing organic farmers and seed growers if contaminated by Roundup Ready seed. [PUBPAT is a not-for-profit legal services organization affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. PUBPAT protects freedom in the patent system by representing the public interest against undeserved patents and unsound patent policy. www.pubpat.org]

The case, Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association, et al. v. Monsanto, was filed in federal district court in Manhattan and assigned to Judge Naomi Buchwald. Plaintiffs in the suit represent a broad array of family farmers, small businesses and organizations from within the organic agriculture community who are increasingly threatened by genetically modified seed contamination despite using their best efforts to avoid it. The plaintiff organizations have over 270,000 members, including thousands of certified organic family farmers."This case asks whether Monsanto has the right to sue organic farmers for patent infringement if Monsanto's transgenic seed should land on their property," said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT's Executive Director and Lecturer of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. "It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement, but Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement, so we had to act to protect the interests of our clients."

"Some say transgenic seed can coexist with organic seed, but history tells us that's not possible, and it's actually in Monsanto's financial interest to eliminate organic seed so that they can have a total monopoly over our food supply," said Ravicher. "Monsanto is the same chemical company that previously brought us Agent Orange, DDT, PCB's and other toxins, which they said were safe, but we know are not. Now Monsanto says transgenic seed is safe, but evidence clearly shows it is not." "Transgenic seed should not be on the market. They are a threat to the future of farming and consumer freedom of choice," asserted Pete Kennedy, Esq., President of FTCLDF. "Monsanto should not be suing farms whose land the company's products contaminate; Monsanto should be paying them damages."

Other actions you can take this month: If you live in the WA area, you can testify next week to the USDA in Seattle.From the Cornucopia Institute:

"Next week the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will hold its semiannual meeting in Seattle. Three members of the policy staff from The Cornucopia Institute will be in attendance....

We have a lot to present. Every citizen gets just 5 min. to speak and in the past you could speak a second 5 min. if you had a proxy from someone who could not attend the meeting. The corporate-friendly chairperson of the panel just broke with tradition and eliminate the second 5 min.

There are some real hot button issues like will organic chickens have legitimate outdoor access and enough space inside buildings, will hogs be confined just like on factory farms and will the new potential rules put family-scale dairy farmers out of business.

If that's not enough a proposal is pending to allow any synthetic inorganic food as long as it allegedly has "nutrient value." That could open the door to all kinds of bizarre novel substances that have no business in organics. Turning organic food into what Michael Pollan calls "food-like substances."...

OUR MISSION

Supporting and advocating for Clean, Fair, Healthy Food and Sustainable Agriculture, and supporting local farmers and producers, with an emphasis on directly supporting emerging farmers and farm workers, with the understanding that local foods produced sustainably are:

Slow Food - University of Gastronomic Sciences

Keith Bolin (right), life-long farmer and Pres. of the American Corn Growers Association (click photo for link), a leading voice in the pursuit for renewable energy sources, as well as farm and trade policy, issues such as seed patent law, GMO policies and other issues that affect farmers. The ACGA is a voice representing the interests of farmers without the influence of agribusiness interests. Keith, and his friend Illinois farmer Jim Braun, inspired us, and we hope to have these brave men as guests to our island someday soon. (And Biordi Import owner Gianfranco Savio is from the same region of Italia as Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini, rides a bike to work, and was very kind and helpful during our visit to the Slow Food Congress/Nation!)